frohne



March 30 1926. 1,578,597

I A. FROHNE CONTROL SWITCH FOR TOY ELECTRIC RAILWAYS AND THE LIKE Filed July 11, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet-l I ooeoooeo 9000000 QQQQQQ D March 30 1926.

A.FROHNE CONTROL SWITCH FOR TOY ELECTRIC RAILWAYS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Shoat 2 'Filed July 11. 1922 I v Emmi! jzmmzaw' Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

ALBIN FROHNE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN FLYER MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CONTROL SWITCH FOR TOY ELECTRIC RAILWAYS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed July 11, 1922. Serial No. 574,182.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that ALBIN Fnoi-mn. a citizen of Germany (having declared his intention of becoming a citizen of the United States), residing at Chicago, in the county of (look and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Control Switches for Toy Electric Railways and the like, of which the follow ing is a specification. r

This invention has to do with certain improvements in control switches. It has to do particularly with improvements in control switchestor use with, toy electric railways and the like, although it will presently ap pear that the features of the invention are not limited to this or any other particular class of service. Nevertheless, the construction herein illustrated and described has been designed with particular reference to the needs of this class of service, and therefore is particularly well adapted to meet such needs;

The main object of the present invention is to provide a control switch adapted to receive current of one voltage, for example 110 volts, and deliver it to the rails at a lower voltage. duction of voltage is obtained by the insertion of a resistance element into the circuit, so that the current delivered to the rails passes such resistance element and the voltage is largely absorbed by the resistance element. lVith such an arrangement the voltage at the rails will bear a ratio to the voltage across the resistance element in the same proportion as the resistance (including inductance) of the track circuit bears to the resistance (including inductance) of the resistance.element. The instant that the track circuit is opened so that the flow of current ceases, the full voltage will be impressed upon the track circuit. In the case ofan ordinary lighting system this will cause the existence of approximately 110. volts across the tracks of the toy electric railroad with attendant dangers to children and others in the neighborhood. 1

In connection with the foregoing, the con trol switches herein disclosed are so constructed and arranged that. the instant the track circuit isopened or has its resistance:

abnormally increased so as to become sat In this connection, the re.

ject to an abnormalvoltage, the connections leading to the track circuit are broken andthe delivery of currentto itinstantly discontinued. The arrangement is also of such a nature that when a car or other current absorbing device of normal resistance is again connected to the track circuit, the delivery of current thereto will only recommence when the operator purposely throws the control switch into the proper position :For such delivery of current.

.AIiOt'llCl feature of the invention relates to the provision of means for adjusting the control switch so as to make it operable for .he disconnection of the track circuit at any selected ratio of track resistance compared to outside resista ce, thus adapting the control switch to a wide range of applications as well as making it possible to adjust its operation to a very sensitive degree.

Another feature of the invention relates to the association of a rheostat unit directly with the control switch, so that the current flowing to the track circuit can be easily adjusted within the full'range ot' the rheostat.

Other objects and uses of the invention will appear from a detailed description of the same, which consists int-he features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 show an interior face view of the control switch standing in its normal vertical position, being a section taken on the line 1- 1 of Fig. 2, looking in thodi rection of the arrows;

Fig. '2 shows a view at right angles to Fig. 1, being a section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, the rheostat, however, being shown in partial elevation:

Fig. 3 shows a horizontal section taken on the line 33 of Figs. 1 and 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4: shows a bottomv perspective view of theresistance element of the rheostat and Fig. 5shows diagrammatically a-simple wiring diagram for an arrangement operable according to the features of the present invention. W

.I will first state that the control" switch liere n disclosed is inniany respects-similar in construction and mode of operation to that of my co-pending application for Letters Patent of the United States for improvements in toy electric railway control switches, Serial No. 504,219, which was tiled September- 29, 1921.

Referring to the wiring diagram of Fig. 5, the full voltage mains are designated by the numerals 6 and 7. The control switch includes an electric magnethaving the coils 8 working on the armature 9, which arrnature normally falls away from the coils and is only lifted'by he influence of theeoils when the current in the coils becomes sailicient, taking into account the distance of the armature from the coils and also its weight. The coils 8 are connected in series by a wire 10, and the terminals 11 and 12 are connected to the terminals of the control switch 13, and let by the conductors 15, 1(3,

17', 18, 1:9, 20, 21 and 22. The outside resistance element 23 conveniently takes the term of an electric lamp inserted between the main 7 and the control switch terminal 1%. "i. switch 24; is provided across the terminals 13 and l l which when closed cuts out the magnet coils and all other connections ot the control switch and subjects the resistance element 23 to the full line voltage.

The running rails of the toy electric railroad are designated. by the numerals and 26, and the third rail thereof by the numeral 27. One of the running rails. and the third rail are respectively connected to the delivery terminals 28 and 29 oi? the control by means of the wires 30 and 31. The delivery terminal 28 connects to a contact 32 by a wire 33 and the delivery terminal 29 connects to a contact 3st by a wire 35, and when a rheostat 36 is to be used the same may be interposed between the wire and the delivery terminal 29.

The movable contacts 37 and 38 are located in position to engage the contacts 32 and 34 respectively when the armature 9 is lowered, and to be moved away from the contacts 32 and 34 when the armature is raised by the influence of the magnet. This result is obtained by the presence 01. an insulating block 39 connected to the armature 9 by a pin 40, which block stands beneath the. contacts 3'? and 38. The contacts 37 and 38 are respectively connected to the wires 16 and 20 by other wires etl and lViththis arrangement it will be evident that as long as the magnet is suilicicntly energized to sustain itsarmature in the raised position, the contacts 37 and 38 will beheld away' from thecontacts 32 and 3 i-, so"that the rails will be entirely disconnectedfrom the supply or current. The minute, however, that the armature 9 drops the contacts 3? and, 38 will engage the contacts and 3a.

Assu1ning thatjt here is? load connected.

across therails; the same wouldtlraw a Pertion of the current flowing through the total circuit, the remaining portion of the current passing through the coils of the magnet. The proportion of current left in the coils will depend upon the total impedance of the track circuit as compared tothe impedance througlr'the coils. If this track circuit impedance be normal, a sutilcient volume of currentwill be drawn therethrough to deprive the coils of sutiicient current to sustain thearmature 9, and said armature will continue in the lowered position and delivering current to'the track circuit. The instant, however, that the impedance of the track circuit is sutliciently raised, as by a complete opening of said circuit, the current diverted from the coils will cease to be sutficient to prevent said coils from raising the armature 9 which will thereupon rise and disconnect the track circuit con.- pletely. Such disconnection will continue until the magnets are compelled to drop the armature. In the particular arrangement illustrated in the diagram, this result can be secured by momentarily closing the switch 24-, whereupon the magnet will be deprived of current and will drop its armature, there-- by connecting the track circuit to the re maining circuits. lVhen the switch 2-l is thereafter opened the armature 9 will either remain in lowered position or will be again raised depending upon whether the track cir cuit be of suiliciently low impedance as compared to the impedance of the magnet. Referring now to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, I will describe the particular construction therein illustrated. It includes aback or ease board 43 of electrically insulating material which normally stands in the vertical position illustrated in Fig. 2. The magnet coils 8 are secured to said base board by securing their core 44. thereto. The arma ture 9 when in the lowered position rests on a bracket which is secured to the base board 4-3 and has the upstanding fingers 46 at its other side. This bracket lo'ispio vided. with the vertical slots a? through which pass the screws 48 by which the bracket is secured to. the base board, so that its elevation can be readily adjusted. in this way the armature will be sustained either closer to or farther away from the magnet as desired, so as to correspondingly regulate the currentv necessary in the magnets to raise the armature.

The various wires 18, 17. 16 and ii are established by a common plate 49, and the wires 22, 21, 20 and a2 are established by a common pfite 50. These plates are respectively secured to the base block l3, The lower ends of the plates s9 and 50 are turned inwardly at right angles as shown at 51,, and 52 to'jestablish stationary contacts. The up per por ons otthe plates t9, and; 5,0 are pro i -led i l? t e enem s" raliinl's' 18 ll revs-e? respectively to which the incoming leads are connected. v

The arn'iature 9 has the downwardly dependirng stem 40 which is threaded and receives a ii er of insulat'ng material located between a pair of set screws and on the stem etl), so that the position oi. said .i'asher 523 can be adjusted on the 1110 contact elements 56 and 57 are l ll mounted on brackets 58 and which are in turn secured to the block 43 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Each of these brackets has a forwardly projecting finger on which the corresponding contact memlser 56 or 5'? is swiveled, the contact members being held in place by means of the.

pins 61, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. It is preferred that the contact members 56 and 5? be counter balanced as shown in Fig. 1 by weights 62, and these counter balance weights may conveniently be made of solder. The arrangement is such that as soon as the armature 9 is raised so as to raise the stem 4:0, the counter balances will cause the con tact members 56 and 57 to fall away from the contacts 51 and 52 so as to break the circuit. The wires 33 and 35 are connected to the contact blocks 58 and 59 respectively, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1.

A horizontal bracket of fiber or other insulating material 63 is secured to the lower end of the block l3 and projects forwardly a suitable distance to support the rheostat 3". This rheostat is conveniently formed of a top plate 6 of fiber or other insulating material on which are located the various contact points 65. The switch handle 66 is pivoted to the block (l -l at the point 67, and has a finger piece 68 by means of which it may be swung back and forth. It is provided with a downwardly projecting contact point 69 adapted to ride over the contacts of the block to engage them in succession.

Beneath the block 64 is another block 70 also of fiber or other insulating material having a number of notches 71 in its opposite ends, so that the resistance coils 7 2 can lie wound around the block 70 and in the notches '71. These coils are connected up in series with each other in the usual manner, the tern'rinal 73 between the various coils being carried up to the contact points 65.

. The block (it is mounted on a U-shaped plate 74: of aluminum or pressed steel or the like which in turn is secured to the bracket 6?. The plate 74 is preferably perforated as shown in Fig. 2, so as to thoroughly ventilate the same. The wires 33 and are carried forwardly into the rheosta-t, one oi said wires being connected to the terminal post 28 on the block 64, and the other wire being connected to one end of the series of coils '72. lhe other terminal post 29 is connected to the rheostat hand e 66, the terminal posts 28 and, being Connected to the rails 25 and 27 by means of the wires 30 and 31 in the manner already explained.

A. suitable hOuSing 75 is reinovably mounted over the magnet coils and other parts of the device, said housing being reiiiovablv held in place on the base block by means of screws 76 or in any other convenient manner.

V hile I have herein shown and described only a single embodiment of the features of my present invention, still I do not intend to limit myself to the same except as I may do so in the claims.

I claim:

1. An electric control switch comprising in combination a vertical panel board, an electroinagnet mounted thereon with a vertieal core, an armature beneath said core. a bracket on the panel board for normally supporting said armature, means for adjusting the bracket vertically on the panel board, a downwardly depending pin carried by the armature, stationary contacts projecting forwardly at the sides of the panel board, a pair oi? forwardly extending brackets secured to the panel board beneath said contacts, contact members pivotally mounted on said bracketsand having their outer ends in position to engage the stationary contacts when tilted on the brackets, counter balance weights normally rocking; the contact members on the brackets to carry their outer ends downwardly away from the first mentioned contacts, an insulating collar on the pin located above the inner ends 01 the contact members and adapted to depress said inner ends when the arn'iature and pin are lowered, and means for adjusting the posit-ion of said collar on the pin, subs antially as descril'ied.

An electric control switch comprising in coi'i'ibination a vertical eleetron'i nee, an armature beneath the same, means ior normally su iporting the armature, means for adjusting said supporting means vertically, a downwardly depending pin carried my lllQ armature, tationary contact at each side of the pin, an uprardly facing knife edge bracket adjacent to each of said contacts, a contact member pivotally mounted on each of said knife edge brackets and having its outer end in position to engage the corre spending: stationary contact when tilted on its bracct, a counter balance weight normally rocking each contact men'iber on its bracket to carry its outer end downwardly away from the first mentioned contact, an insulating collar on the pin located above the inner ends of the contact members. and means. for adjusting the position of said col-- lar on the pin, substantially as described.

3. An electric control switch con'ipiisii'ig in combination a vertical eleetromagnct, an armature beneath the same, means for normally supporting t1- e armature, a pair of horizontally aligned stationary contacts beneath the armature, an upwardly fecingknife edge bracket ad1acent to each of sand contacts, a Contact member pivotnlly mounted n each of smd knife edge brackets and havlng lts outer end 111 posmon to engage the corresponding stat onary Contact when mite-c1 on Its bracket, a counter balance welgl'ltenormally rocklng each contact member on its bracket to cu ry lts outer end downwardly away from the first mentioned Contact, and an insulating 10 collar connected to the armature, and located above the inner ends of the contact members, substantially as described.

ALBIN FROHNE. 

